The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-21
PENSIONS TO CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS.
The Only Opposition Comes From
Two Beaufort Negroes.
"Yuu may ruh. and you mny scru'
d., , ,,{,,a.ill ha a ofOrar still

The Only Opposition Comes From
Two Beaufort Negroes.
lyon may ruh. and you may scrub,
But nigger'll be Niger STILL"
COLUMBIA, December 15.-An hour or two
was taken up in tinkering at the Confederate
pension bill. 1t could hardly be called dis
IF Sor s l. mater Gt lneI m tbe mo nature e
| conversational conference, In Whlch tnou.
| sand and one amendments and Suggestions
were offered, adopted, reconsidered, WIN
drawn, tabled, Indefinitely postponed ana au'
A prominent and peculiar feature OF the dis
cusslon was the participation IN II or the on
of Edgefield, O'Brien, Brawley, Of Charleston,
and Haskell, of Columbia The bill as 1t came
| from the Senate, was very GOOD Dill. put lne
House, in Its anxiety to snow lts patrlolisl,i'
lars, and hence the time to consider It,
The first amendment made was to strike out
the provision in the Senate bill barring the
owner of real estate TO the value OF s2oO rom
gested that all Confederate soldiers should re-
ceive pension, If a pension was to be grant
cd, no matter what his Income was;
Then there was another muddle on an
amendment which was first agreed to, includ'
ing soldiers who were disabled by diseases
contracted in the service, but when tne mat
ter had been further discussed the matter was
reconsldered and the amendment stricken
out
During the discussion 1t was suggested by
Mr.. Miller of Georgetown, that this Dill, I'M
less every restriction was thrown Ia arouhH , ~,
| than anything that had happened since tne
war. "
The bill finally passed the House without
division, two of the Beaufort members only
requesting to be recorded as voting against ii
on the ground that they could OF vote pen
sion TO any one who had attempted to destroy
the Union.
A SYNOPSIS OF THE BILL.
The following is q synopsis of the text OF the
/. Pension of IS a month to bona fide SOLDIERS
and sailors in either the State or Con nfederate
States service during the late war, ana VINO
while In such service have lost leg or arm:
or received any wound causing permanent
disability .incapacitating them for earning q
livelihood. Neither the pensioner nor his
wife must be in possession of an income ex-
ceedlng $3.50 per annum.
2 TO obtain the benefits of the Act the ap.
plicant must make application In writing 70
the comptroller general settling forth IN detail
the nature of the disabling wound; the com
pany and regiment, or battalion, IN which ne
served, and the time and place Of receiving
the wound, and showing that neither himself
nor his wife is in receipt Of Income as herein n
verified BY the oath of the applicant accompa.
MED by the affidavit OF one or more credlpie
witnesses, stating that they know the appiI'
cant was soldier or sailor and believe the oil,
legations mQQe IN Inc appllCdIiOu w 10 u
The application must also be verified by the
county auditor (without charge) as TO the IN.
come of the applicant. BY income IS meant
salary or wages or moneys from any otner
source. The applicant must also procure the
affidavit of two reputable physicians Of the
county in which he resides showing that they
made personal examination OF the apPlicani !
and setting forth the nature OF the aiiegeo
wound, and the extent of the disability there
by caused and such other details as, In their
Judgment, may be relevant to the applica-
tion."
g. The application and accompanying pa.
pers must be submitted to the Clerk Of Court
OF the county In which the applicant reside
who must (without fee or charge) certify un-
der his official seal that he knows the parties
whose names are subscribed to the several af-
fidavits (s'or that upon Inquiry he believes
thcm) to be citizens Of the county and state
and worthy OF belief; that the physicians are
in good standing and regularly authorized 70
practice In the said county. and tn tnaS IN ms
Or If he shall find otherwise, he shall 80 en-. en-
dorse upon the said application, together with
any matter known TO him or found by him
4. The papers, having been completed thus
far, are to be forwarded to "the comptroller
general, who, with the attorney general and
the secretary OF state snai SSh
any two Of whom shall have authority 70 act.
If the said board or any two OF them shall ap.
prove the applications they shall so endorse
the comptroller general to issue to the party
entitled to receive the same his warrant for
the sum of five dollars, on the last day OF each
month, beginning from the date Of said ap-
the following October. or until informed OF the
death of the party, which Said warrants shall
be paid by the treasurer on presentation"
5. Widows OF Confederate soldiers and sail
ors may receive the same pension under the
following conditions: The husband must have
lost his life while in the service, she must be
unmarried, and subject to the same con nditions
as 10 property and income as hcreinbefore pro
vlded, and may make her application setting
forth in detail the facts which entitle her TO
make such claim, and verified ny aHdavits
and certificates hereinb before provided, except
the affidavits of physicians:
The remaining sections OF the Dill make pro-
visions for carrying 1t into effect.
1st. The comptroller general Is required to
prepare and print the necessary ierns sol OF aP
distribute them In the several counties.
I'd. The shaving or speculation IN pension
papers is made misdemeanor. Maximum
or both in the discretion Of the Court. This,
it will be observed, freezes out pension
agents."
Sd. The clerks Of the Courts in the various
cations endorsed by them sand any person
having had his claim approved by the board
during the month Of November In each sue
bn year % wi bs sPorE and obtains
him certificate that he or she is the identical
party named in the original application, and
is still entitled to receive the benefits OF this
Act Such certificate shall be forwarded to
the comptroller general, and with the approx.
al of the aforesaid board the comptroller gen.
eral shall continue the payments hereinbe-
tore provided until the 91st day OF October
following, or until notified OF the death OF the
party entitled TO receive the same"
4th The last section provides for the pun
lshmcnt of frauds committed under the Pen
sion Act Maximum punishment $500 fine
and SIX months imprisonment, or both.